The Herald Bulletin

Evening Update

Sports

Related Photos

Discussion

February 4, 2010

Rick Teverbaugh: Phil not getting the point

Why have my thoughts so often turn to the PGA tour during the past five days?

By Rick Teverbaugh, Herald Bulletin Sports Editor

The Indianapolis Colts are just three days from their second Super Bowl appearance in four years.

The IHSAA girls basketball sectional will begin in less than a week.

So why have my thoughts so often turned to the PGA Tour during the past five days?

It seems that the new U.S. figurehead on that Tour, Phil Mickelson, isn’t holding up his end of the bargain very well with just a couple of tournaments in the books.

At the heart of the problem are the square grooves in irons that were outlawed by the PGA and the USGA before the start of the season.

Mickelson and a few others found a legal loophole. The loophole is there because Ping and the PGA settled a lawsuit long ago that would make clubs designed by that company prior to April 1, 1990, legal for Tour use.

Fellow PGA pro Scott McCarron was reported to have called Mickelson a “cheater.” But he later said he believes what Mickelson did was cheating, but he denied he called Mickelson a cheater.

I won’t call Mickelson a “cheater” either. But I will agree with McCarron that it is cheating.

Golf has always been a game about policing yourself. Even on the pro tour, most of the participants call violations on themselves. On a rare occasion a viewer will catch a violation, call it in and, through the use of videotape, the infraction’s punishment is enforced.

Mickelson should have policed himself on this matter.

He knew it was the intent of the new regulation to ban the square grooves on the club. So he could have simply ignored the loophole.

Unfortunately the PGA can’t close the loophole without an agreement with Ping because of a 1993 settlement.

On Wednesday, Mickelson announced that he is going to quit using the clubs. Problem solved? No, this is Mickelson we’re discussing here.

Mickelson’s position now is that he has done his part to attract attention to the problem. He now says that if the PGA and the USGA don’t close the loophole and if his fellow Tour pros don’t continue using it, then he will take the clubs out again and use them.

So it seems that Mickelson still doesn’t seem to get the fact that while the clubs are legal, it is still wrong to use them. He refuses to believe that the PGA pros can recognize the difference and refrain from using them. He wants somebody to make them illegal and remove the temptation for him to bring them out of his garage again.

It would seem that Mickelson, who is now the most recognized U.S. player on this Tour, should be a forefront of encouraging everyone to follow the spirit of the rule whether the PGA and USGA can strike a deal with Ping or not.

If the loophole can be closed, then the issue would be resolved. But if it can’t then surely some restraint and some integrity from the players would also solve the problem.

Contact Rick Teverbaugh: 640-4886, rick.teverbaugh@heraldbulletin.com.

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_1432.JPG Triumphant Tribe

    Seventeen years of frustration and disappointment for the Anderson Indians baseball team ended in a jubilant dog pile atop junior pitcher Curtis Wilson on Monday night at Pendleton Heights’ Field of Dreams.

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Argylls squeeze into crown

    Madison-Grant coach Ben Rodriguez liked his squeeze play so much that he called it again in the pivotal inning of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 championship game at Eastern High School on Monday night in Greentown.

    May 28, 2012

  • 0529 spts Lapel vs Wapahani_baseball 59a.jpg Bulldogs’ comeback falls just short

    Not even a heroic seventh-inning rally could save the Lapel baseball team in the Class 2A sectional title game at Frankton on Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning but still came up a run short as the Wapahani Raiders won the championship 9-8.

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0413 sports Muller semifinal 038.jpg Tribe rallies past Pendleton Heights into final

    This is the stuff of legend.
    The kind of game that defines a rivalry.
    The kind of victory that breathes new life into a program.
    And the kind of defeat that won’t ever be forgotten.

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • George Bremer-2.JPG George Bremer: In with Orton, out of Luck?

    There really is no offseason anymore in the National Football League.
    The Indianapolis Colts haven’t played a game since Jan. 1, but look at all the headlines they’ve generated since that date.

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0528 NASCAR Charlotte Auto_Harl.jpg Kahne keeps Hendrick success rolling at Charlotte

    Kasey Kahne powered to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, taking NASCAR's longest race for the third time for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0528 Manu.jpg Spurs strike first in West finals, win 19th in row

    Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their 19th in a row to tie the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 to open the Western Conference finals on Sunday night.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Indians White Sox Bas_Harl.jpg Konerko hits go-ahead HR, White Sox sweep Indians

    Paul Konerko got a big milestone home run and the White Sox got a sweep of the only team between them and the AL Central lead.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Rockies Reds Baseball_Harl.jpg Reds outslug Rockies on record day for HRs

    Here's how easy it looked to hit home runs at Great American Ball Park on Sunday: Todd Frazier lost his grip on the bat during a swing. The ball wound up in the seats anyway.

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Cubs Pirates Baseball_Harl.jpg Cubs lose 12th straight, 10-4 to Pirates

    The Chicago Cubs didn't come to close to ending their longest losing streak in more than 15 years. Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones homered, Erik Bedard pitched six shutout innings and the Pirates beat Chicago 10-4, sending the Cubs to their 12th consecutive loss.

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo